The present invention relates to a lighting arrangement for motor vehicles especially passenger vehicles, that have a trunk lid or a hatchback and are provided with rear lighting arrangements. Known lighting arrangements of this type have rear lighting arrangements that are disposed in the rear portion of the vehicle, and in particular are disposed in the region next to the trunk lid or hatchback of the vehicle, or a portion thereof is provided on the trunk lid or on the hatchback and another portion is provided on the rear body part of the vehicle. In both cases, due to this configuration of the lighting arrangement the cross-sectional width of the loading opening that leads into the trunk or storage area is reduced. Thus, loading and unloading of the trunk becomes inconvenient and difficult. In addition, due to the reduced cross-sectional width of the loading opening, it is difficult, if not impossible, to load wide items into the trunk.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a lighting arrangement of the aforementioned general type in such a way that the loading opening that leads into the trunk or storage area can be optimally utilized for loading the trunk or storage area, without thereby adversely affecting the safety function of the motor vehicle when the trunk lid or hatchback is opened.